


Homecoming

by Wild_Roses



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Homecoming, One Shot, Post-The Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 16:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19749874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wild_Roses/pseuds/Wild_Roses
Summary: Leo's homecoming





	Homecoming

Percy floated up to the surface, eyes blinking. With a frown he let his legs drop, torso popping up out of the water. He scrubbed his vision clear as he focused on the horizon. With a whoop, the water surged beneath him, powering him to the shore.

Bare feet slapping the trail, Percy pounded to the cabins where, given the early hour, everyone was tucked in. He hammered on the window of Aphrodite cabin first, yelling for Piper rather than climbing the stairs to knock politely. He moved on to Athena and then Zeus, hollering for Annabeth and Jason. Finally he crossed to the middle of the circle of cabins and screamed across the way for Nico, before turning back towards the ocean and squinting at the sky. The bronze glint he had noted was taking the form of a large bird.

Jason was the first out of his cabin as the figure overhead approached. He stumbled to Percy’s side and gasped slightly, pulling his glasses off and dropping the hand that held them down by his side. 

“Piper…”

“Festus,” She confirmed, coming down the steps of her cabin, face tight.

Annabeth joined them, wrapping her arms around Percy’s waist nervously. “Someone’s riding him.”

“I wish Frank were here,” Piper said with the beginnings of an anxious smile. Their friend’s ability to change shapes would have been wonderfully useful. 

“It’s Leo,” Percy said confidently, grinning as Festus looped around to settle for a landing. “And gods… Calypso.”

The four of them stood frozen side by side as Festus touched down and Leo slid off him, helping Calypso dismount before turning to face them.

Piper let out a sob and flew at him. Leo clutched her as she sobbed into his shoulder.

“I told ya Pipes, I had a plan.”

“It’s been _three weeks_ ,” she hissed, loosening her stranglehold of him slightly. “I could _kill_ you!”

“I’ve already died and been revived, it sucked. So I’ll pass on that one. Sorry,” Leo smiled bashfully, looking over Piper to meet the eyes of each of his friends in turn. “Festus and I got blasted most the way back to Greece. I rigged him to inject me with the physician’s cure. Not sure how long I was, you know, _dead_ ,” he whispered it like it was a bad word.

“But then we found Ogygia right away. It took a little while to get Festus fixed up for the return voyage. And then, you know, the time to get back. I definitely missed Jason when we had a tangle with some Venti… Calypso kept her own with a flock of Harpies,” Leo added with pride.

Piper let go of Leo and looked at Calypso for the first time. She walked up and pulled Calypso into a hug without hesitation. “Lovely to finally meet you. Thanks for bringing him back to us.”

“My honour to meet you,” Calypso blushed. “Sorry it took so long to arrive.”

Jason grabbed onto Leo, not bothering to stifle his tears.

“Missed you man,” Leo whispered.

Jason was beyond words. When he finally was satisfied that Leo was solidly there and alive, he pulled away so Percy and Annabeth could greet their friend. They both fussed over his physical state and berated him for being a martyr. 

After they’d stepped away, Nico walked up to join them. Shaking his head, a smile creeping along his face, he offered his hand to Leo. “Nice to see you in one piece, man.”

Will rushed up with some ambrosia and nectar. “Better let your sister know, Nico.”

Within a few hours, Hazel was tumbling off of Arion’s back, a rather green Frank sliding to the ground behind her. Everyone raced to the courtyard to greet them. Arion’s golden coat glistened with sweat. As though knowing that Leo was the cause of all this drama, the horse strode right up to him, nose to nose and blew through his lips, spraying Leo with spit.

Percy chuckled darkly, “C’mon Arion, let’s go get you freshened up.”

Annabeth crouched next to Frank and rubbed his back, offering some nectar. He shot Leo a weak smile while he pressed his palms flat to the ground, as if he could force it to stop spinning beneath him.

Hazel, eyes wide, approached Leo as Calypso tactfully slipped away to wait with Piper. 

“You…” she whispered, “You!” Hazel closed the distance between them, diamonds flying up from the ground around her feet as she shoved Leo. “You were dead!”

“Ouch!” Leo landed on his butt. He stood, carefully brushed off his clothes- fresh from camp- and pulled Hazel into a hug. “I am sorry.” 

“Okay. Okay. Okay,” she stuttered. “I didn’t believe it. I didn’t. I couldn’t _feel_ it. But Nico, Nico…” She turned to glare at her brother, “What the hell Nico?” 

Nonchalantly, Nico raised his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry Hazel. Didn’t want to get your hopes up. I knew you were right though; it didn’t feel as though he were _really_ dead.”

Hazel took a breath, wiping her tears away in a matter of fact manner. “Leo Valdez- no more martyrdom, you hear me?”

“Yes ma’am!” He replied with a salute, eyes glinting. “You want to meet her?”

With a gasp, Hazel whirled around. As always when her emotions ran high, Hazel’s old southern accent was prominent when she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness.”

“Hello,” Calypso greeted shyly, moving to entwine her hand with Leo’s. “Glad to meet you.”

“I am delighted to meet you.”

“Beach time!” Percy declared, walking back to the group with a cooler of soda. “I think we all deserve a bit of a vacation- don’t you?”

*****


End file.
